All posts in Cooking

Posted:

Comments:

On a boat, the kitchen area may be the spot where we spend the most amount of time during long journeys. Nothing better than some good food and drinks to keep up crew morale! So it is crucial to plan meals ahead of your trip. Don’t worry: we’ve thought of everything! Here’s a little step by step guide for eating well… on a boat.

1. Talk to the owner!

If you want to optimise bunkering, you need information about the boat. Consider what kind of load the boat can support, the length of you plan for this leg of the journey, free space for storage on board, kitchen equipment and mostly budget and taste of your crew.

2. Keep it simple

Even if you can cook just like at home on board a sailboat, we would recommend preparing simple dishes that don’t require a lot of preparation, like salads, pasta, rice and sandwiches. That way, you’ll have more time to enjoy the sea breeze, and should you get sea-sick at least you won’t need to spend too much time in the kitchen. You can also bring some long-life home-made goodies, like savoury cakes (ham & olives, blue cheese & nuts, tomatoes & anchovies…).

As an example, some pasta with a good tomato sauce is a good idea to please all the crew with minimal effort. Don’t bring perishable veggies on board or bother with cooking and simmering for hours. Buy a few jars of tasty sauce like Dolmio Bolognese sauce, some dried pasta… and that’s it! You won’t need to add anything as Dolmio is perfectly seasoned with basil, garlic and other 100% natural ingredients, and everyone will get part of their 5 day, as the sauce contains all in all 87% tomatoes!

3. Shop in advance

It’s more convenient and cheaper than stopping at a restaurant! Think long-life bread for sandwiches, for lunch for example: When you’re at sea, it’s not always easy to eat in from a plate with a fork! Save more elaborate meals for dinner time. If you’re going to get snacks, remember to get solid ones you can eat with one hand while holding the rudder. For example we’d recommend buying some solid cheese like Emmental rather than soft brie or goat’s cheese.

4. If you don’t have a fridge on board…

Prepare some bottles of frozen water (remember to take a bit of water out before freezing so the bottles don’t explode) to put in the ice box. Buy some vegetables that keep a while, like potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes, and wrap them individually in newsprint paper.

5. Don’t forget the drinks!

Complete your journey with some nice drinks at sea! Try this simple Gin Fizz recipe, to enjoy before (or with!) your tomato sauce pasta. Here is what you’ll need for each person:

5 cl of gin

2 cl of sugar sirop

3 cl of lemon juice

10 cl of fizzy water

5 ice cubes

In a shaker, pour the gin, lemon juice, sugar sirop and ice cubes, and shake well for a few seconds. Pour in a large glass, fill to the top with fizzy water, and decorate with a lemon slice if you want. Repeat for the rest of the crew!